Fastening means for flexible members



May 11, 1943. w. lamx'roNq FASTENING MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE MEMBERS FiledMarch 20, 1940 WW .lll H f, f E

" Y INVEN'roR MIR/VEA /axrow BY ,L

WA'rroR EYs Patented May 11, 1943 FASTEN ING MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE MEIWBERSWarner R. Buxton, Longmeadow, Mass.; Mabel Allen Buxton, executrix ofsaid Warner R. Buxton, deceased, assignor to Buxton, Incorporated, acorporation of Massachusetts Application March 20, 1940, Serial N0.325,035

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fasteners of the tongue andslot type, such as are adapted for holding together, in an easilyreleasable manner, overlapping members of exible material such, forexample, as the walls of a flexible pocket receptacle.

The invention nds one advantageous use as a fastener for the closure apsof flexible pocket receptacles, such as wallets, billfolds, and thelike.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.274,328, filed May 18, 1939, for an invention in flexible pocketreceptacles.

The invention has for an object the provision in a tongue and slotfastener for overlapping members, of a def-lector which is mounted inand extends through the slot, projecting inwardly from the slot alongthe inner face of the slotted member and projecting outwardly from theslot along the outer face of the slotted member in position to engageand deflect the tongue.

The invention also has for an object to provide in a tongue and slotfastener of the type described, an improved mounting for the deflectorcharacterized in that the defiector has notches one in each of twoopposite ends thereof and in that these notched ends are seated one ineach of the ends of the slot.

The invention has for a further object to provide in a fastener of thetype described, a defietcr which is pivotally supported from the ends fthe slot and a means acting on the inwardlyextending part ofthedellector for deflector in tongue-engaging position.

These and other objects will best be understood as the detaileddescription proceedsand be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figs. l and 2 are front and side elevational views. respectively, of aflexible pocket receptacle embodying in its closure the fastening meansof this invention; y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 3-3 4of Fig. iand drawn to a much larger scale;

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary front and rear ele they will .-r mountedin piace in the slotted wali of the reo tacle;

l la. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of said slotted wallbefore the deector has been mounted therein;

holding the tional views, respectively, showing the de- Fig. 7 is afront elevational view of the deflector before being mounted in saidslotted Wall;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4;and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary rear elevational View showing a modification.

Referring to the drawing, the fastener, as herein illustrated, is usedfor holding together, in a manner to enable easy disengagement whenrequired, the twoloverlapping members I0 and II of a nexible pocketreceptacle I2 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This receptacle, which may be madeof leather or the like, comprises a front wall consisting of the memberI0, a back wall I3 of substantially the same size and shape, and a`closure flap foldably connected to the upper edge of wall I3 andconsisting of the member II. The walls It and I3 may be secured alongtheirvmating side edges and bottom edges, forming between them a pocketwhich opens at its upper end and is normally closed by the ap il.The-closure flap I I is fastened to the front Wall I0 by a tongue lewhich is engaged lin a slot l5 formed in the wall IU.

The invention relates primarily to improvements in a fastener of thetongue and slot type.

Accordingly, the form of the receptacle, shown in Figs. l and 2, is notimportant and may be Varied as desired. As far as the invention isconcerned, all that is necessary as a background for the presentinvention are two members of flexible material, such as I0 and II, whichoverlap and which are held together by the engagement 'of a tongue onone member in a slot in the other member.. These members` I0 and Il neednot necessarily be vwalls of the same receptacle,

nor need they necessarily dene a receptacle.

The present invention features an element which is mounted in the slotI5 and extends entirely through the same having, as shown, an.

outer portion I6 which extends outwardly from the slot along the outerface of the slotted member ld and an inner portion I'I which extendsinwardly from the slot along the inner face of said member. The outerportion I6 functions as a deector, being positioned so as to engage thetongue i4 as it is slid along wall IU toward the slot I 5 and direct itinto such slot.

The deector is preferably engaged at its ends one in each end of theslot. For example, the deflector may be provided with notches I8, one ateach of two opposite ends thereof, as shown in Fig. 7. `'Ihe deector ismounted by rst seating one notched end in one end of slot I5, thenbending the deector between its ends enough to llow the other notchedend to be pushed into' he slot and then moved endwise in the slot untilits second-named notched end is seated in the other end of the slot. Thedeilector and the slotted member are each of material exible enough toallow bending of one or the other to a sufficient extent to enable thedescribed assembly. When seated in the slot, the deflector is firmlyheld in place. Each notched end straddles the adjacent end wall of theslot and holds the deector from being pulled outwardly or pushedinwardly in the slot. Also, the distance between the bottoms of the twonotches I8 is substantially equal to the straight-line distance betweenthe ends of the slot, whereby the deector is held against movement toany substantial degree in a direction lengthwise of the slot.

It is considered desirable and important to have the deector pivotallysupported in its slot. One effective way of accomplishing this result ina very satisfactory manner is by the described form of mounting. Thenotched ends of the deector straddling the end walls of slot I5 actsomewhat like trunnions and support the detending through the ends ofthe slot. With such an arrangement, the deflector, at least whenoriginally assembled in the slot, would tend to assume a position moreor less at right angles to clearance between the sides of the notches I8and wall ID. In order to hold the deector at a materially less anglewith respect to member I0 and also to move the deflector back to itsnormal position whenever deflected therefrom, means are provided onmember ID which act on the inner portion I'I of the deector toaccomplish the purpose. Thus the slot I5 between its ends may be bowedor bent away from the pivotal axis in the direction of insertion of thetongue. This leaves a portion I9 which lies below the pivotal axis,designated at 20 in Fig. 8, and which presses on the inner portion I'Iof the deilector tending to move it toward the inner face of member IIIand to swing the outer portion I6 toward the outer face of member I0.The deflector will not be forced atly against said faces and its inwardlimit is substantially as shown in Fig. 8, wherein the portion I6 liesat an acute angle to member I0 forming therewith a mouth 2| convergingtoward the entrance of the slot. Thus the tongue, when moved downwardlyalong wall I0, will engage the portion I6, enter mouth 2I and beguidedinto the slot. Fig. 3 shows the tongue positioned in the slot infastening position.

The particular form of slot I5 is not important and it need notnecessarily be made of curved lines as shown. Any shape of slot can beused so long as it provides a part like I9 which, irrespective of itsshape, is located beyond the axis of the deflector (defined by astraight line extending through both notches I8) and on the oppositeside ofthe axis from the outer part I6 for the purpose of pressing,somewhat like a spring, on the inner portion I'I.

The parts of the fastener are disposed somewhat in the fashion ofshingles or clapboards when the parts are viewed inverted from thepositions illustrated; Take Fig. 3 for example, the deector portion I6overlies the member II or tongue I4, and the member I0 overlies thedeflector portion IE-the latter projecting beyond the memberA IIIA andthe tongue I4 or member II extending beyond the deflector portion I6.

flector for pivotal movementabout an axis exthe member I9, depending onthe amount of In Fig. 9, another means is shown for accomplishing thefunction of controlling or limiting the pivotal movement of the deector.In this view, parts which correspond with those shown in Figs. 1 to 8are designated by the same reference numerals with the addition of aprime. Here, the deector has notched ends I8 which are seated in theends of the slot I5, and outer and inner portions I6 and I'Irespectively, as before, except that the slot is in the form of astraight line coinciding with the axis of pivotal movement of thedeector. A patch 22 of leather or other suitable material is secured tothe inner face of member I0 in any suitable Way, as by cementing italong its margins as indicated at 23. A portion 24 of this patch pressesagainst the inner portion I'I and thereby acts to releasably hold theouter portion I6 in tongueengaging position. 'Ihe patch 24 is, ofcourse, so constructed as toafford a recess or pocket 25 of adequatesize to receive and house the tongue I4.

The invention affords an improved form of deflector for guiding thetongue into the slot of a tongue and slot type of fastener. It alsoaffords an improved mounting for the deilector, characterized in that itis firmly held by notched ends straddling the end walls of the slot andenables, if desired, controlled pivotal movement of the deector.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener for overlapping members of flexible material, one of saidmembers having a slot and the other a tongue constructed for easyinsertion into and Withdrawal from said slot, and a deector havingnotches one at each of two opposite ends of the same and mounted in saidslot with its notched ends engaged one with each of the end Walls ofsaid slot, said deector having a portion projecting beyond the slotalong the inner face of the slotted member and a portion projectingbeyond the slot along the outer face of the slotted member, thesecond-named portion positioned to engage the tongue as it is movedtoward the slot and force the tongue into the slot.

2. In a iiexible receptacle, having a pair of overlapping walls ofexible material with a tongue on one end and a slot on the other toreceive the tongue and hold the walls together, said slot being bowedoutwardly between its ends away from the tongue, and a deilector forforcing the tongue into said slot as it is pushed toward the same, saiddeilector comprising a exible member passing through said slot and beingpivotally supported at opposite ends from the ends of said slot.

3. A fastener for overlapping members of flexible material, one of saidmembers having a slot and the other a tongue constructed for easyinsertion into and withdrawal from said slot, a deector pivotallysupported at opposite ends from the ends of the slot and extendingthrough the slot, said deflector having an outer portion positioned inthe path of the tongue as the tongue is moved toward the slot to directthe tongue into the slot and having an inner portion projecting from theslot along the inner face of the slotted member, and means on theslotted member acting on said inner portion to hold the outer portionpositioned in said path.

WARNER R. BUXTON.

CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,518,750. May 11, 19M.

` wARNRR R. 'BUXTCIL It is hereby certified that error appears in theprinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring Correctionas follows: Page 2, seC- ond Column, line 8, for "slot 15" reed --slot15'; line )4.9, claim 2,

strike out the word "end"; and that the said Letters Patent shouldberead with this Correction therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of June, A. .D. 19MB.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

